Let the discussions begin! I’ve taken all the 2015 schedules and have ranked them based on their opponent’s records last year. The returning National Champion Ohio St Buckeyes play 4 non-conference opponents in Virginia Tech, Hawaii, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan this year. These 4 teams finished last season 7-6, 4-9, 11-3, and 8-5 for a combined 30-23 record. Add that to the record of 56-46 which is the combined total for Ohio State’s 2015 Big 10 opponents from last year giving you a total of 86-69. In the chart below you will find that OSU ranks #42. Many call this the NCAA method for strength of schedule and it’s a good starting point when comparing how tough a road your favorite team will face this season.

My 2015 toughest schedule rankings will be released in May on a blog but here is one quick example from last year on why I started my own strength of schedule decades ago. I had TCU as my most improved team in the country for 2014 and they wound up getting to TWELVE wins and nearly made the first ever playoffs! I also had Memphis as one of my most improved teams and they not only made it to Miami Beach Bowl, but also won it and finished 10-3 ranked #25 in the AP Poll. However, if you used the NCAA method you only got credit for playing two teams who were a combined 7-17 in 2013 with TCU being 4-8 and Memphis 3-9. You can find more examples and a more detailed explanation here, as printed as an ESPN Insider article.

I want to reiterate that these rankings ARE NOT mine. Below you will find that the Washington Huskies have the NCAA’s #1 toughest schedule as the 12 opponents they face this season had a combined record last year of 101-56 (64.3%). On the flipside of the NCAA method, Marshall will play the easiest schedule as their 2015 opponents had a combined record of only 54-89 (37.8%). Which Power-5 teams has the easiest schedule and which Group-5 teams has the toughest? The Duke Blue Devils have the #103 schedule and Iowa has the #101 and on the flipside BYU has the #17 schedule, Connecticut the #22 and Western Michigan the #33. Please do check below on why 32 teams made my ranked list. Without further adieu here are the rankings for THE NCAA’S 2015 TOUGHEST SCHEDULE.

THE 2015 TOUGHEST SCHEDULES

MORE CRITEA

(based on the NCAA win/loss %)

(not included in the NCAA method)

FOE

FOE

FOE

Tms W/

# vs Bowl

# Ranked

Rank

WINS

LOSS

WIN%

Win Rec

Eligible

Tms Faced

1

Washington

101

56

64.33%

Washington

9

8

7

2

Arkansas

99

57

63.46%

Arkansas

10

10

7

3

Miami, Fl

97

58

62.58%

Miami, Fl

8

9

5

4

Alabama

96

58

62.34%

Alabama

10

10

7

5

Kentucky

95

58

62.09%

Kentucky

10

9

5

6

Purdue

97

61

61.39%

Purdue

9

9

4

7

California

95

61

60.90%

California

9

9

6

8

Auburn

92

60

60.53%

Auburn

9

8

7

9

Michigan St

95

62

60.51%

Michigan St

9

9

3

10

Texas A&M

93

61

60.39%

Texas A&M

10

9

6

10

Georgia

93

61

60.39%

Georgia

9

8

4

12

Virginia

94

62

60.26%

Virginia

8

10

6

13

Maryland

95

63

60.13%

Maryland

9

8

3

14

Kansas

93

62

60.00%

Kansas

9

9

5

14

Georgia Tech

93

62

60.00%

Georgia Tech

7

9

5

16

Boston College

91

62

59.48%

Boston College

8

8

5

17

Iowa St

92

63

59.35%

Iowa St

9

9

4

17

BYU

92

63

59.35%

BYU

8

8

4

19

Utah

93

65

58.86%

Utah

7

8

5

20

Minnesota

90

63

58.82%

Minnesota

6

8

4

21

USC

91

65

58.33%

USC

9

9

7

22

South Carolina

89

64

58.17%

South Carolina

8

9

5

22

Connecticut

89

64

58.17%

Connecticut

8

8

1

24

Tennessee

89

65

57.79%

Tennessee

9

8

4

25

Clemson

88

65

57.52%

Clemson

9

9

4

26

Texas Tech

89

66

57.42%

Texas Tech

9

9

4

26

Mississippi St

89

66

57.42%

Mississippi St

8

8

6

28

LSU

87

65

57.24%

LSU

10

9

5

29

Vanderbilt

87

66

56.86%

Vanderbilt

9

10

4

29

West Virginia

87

66

56.86%

West Virginia

8

8

4

31

Michigan

88

67

56.77%

Michigan

8

8

3

31

Arizona St

88

67

56.77%

Arizona St

8

7

6

33

Mississippi

87

67

56.49%

Mississippi

8

9

6

33

Western Michigan

87

67

56.49%

Western Michigan

7

8

2

35

Utah St

88

68

56.41%

Utah St

8

9

2

36

SMU

85

66

56.29%

SMU

7

7

3

37

Stanford

87

68

56.13%

Stanford

7

7

5

37

UNLV

87

68

56.13%

UNLV

7

7

2

39

Colorado

94

74

55.95%

Colorado

8

8

7

40

Florida St

85

67

55.92%

Florida St

8

8

3

41

Florida

86

68

55.84%

Florida

8

8

5

42

Ohio St

86

69

55.48%

Ohio St

8

9

1

42

Washington St

86

69

55.48%

Washington St

7

7

5

44

UTSA

84

68

55.26%

UTSA

7

9

2

44

Texas

84

68

55.26%

Texas

8

8

5

46

Virginia Tech

86

70

55.13%

Virginia Tech

6

9

3

47

Southern Miss

83

68

54.97%

Southern Miss

7

8

3

47

Louisville

83

68

54.97%

Louisville

7

7

3

49

Fresno St

85

70

54.84%

Fresno St

8

8

2

50

Georgia St

82

69

54.30%

Georgia St

7

7

1

50

Penn St

82

69

54.30%

Penn St

5

7

2

52

Northwestern

83

70

54.25%

Northwestern

7

8

4

52

Pittsburgh

83

70

54.25%

Pittsburgh

7

8

4

52

Illinois

83

70

54.25%

Illinois

6

8

3

52

North Carolina

83

70

54.25%

North Carolina

6

8

2

52

Indiana

83

70

54.25%

Indiana

7

7

2

57

San Jose St

84

71

54.19%

San Jose St

7

7

2

58

Arizona

82

70

53.95%

Arizona

8

7

5

58

Oregon

82

70

53.95%

Oregon

7

6

5

60

Louisiana Tech

81

70

53.64%

Louisiana Tech

7

7

2

61

Notre Dame

82

71

53.59%

Notre Dame

6

9

4

61

Wake Forest

82

71

53.59%

Wake Forest

7

8

5

61

Nc State

82

71

53.59%

Nc State

6

8

3

61

Rutgers

82

71

53.59%

Rutgers

6

6

4

65

Air Force

83

72

53.55%

Air Force

6

6

2

66

FIU

80

70

53.33%

FIU

6

7

1

67

Nebraska

82

72

53.25%

Nebraska

6

9

2

68

Syracuse

81

72

52.94%

Syracuse

7

8

4

69

Oklahoma St

79

72

52.32%

Oklahoma St

6

7

4

69

Army

79

72

52.32%

Army

8

6

1

71

Florida Atlantic

77

71

52.03%

Florida Atlantic

5

8

1

72

USF

79

73

51.97%

USF

7

8

2

73

Missouri

78

73

51.66%

Missouri

8

8

2

74

Wyoming

79

74

51.63%

Wyoming

7

7

1

75

Miami, Oh

76

72

51.35%

Miami, Oh

6

6

1

76

Ohio

77

73

51.33%

Ohio

6

5

1

77

Troy

76

73

51.01%

Troy

7

7

2

78

Oregon St

78

76

50.65%

Oregon St

6

6

5

79

Idaho

74

73

50.34%

Idaho

7

8

2

79

Central Michigan

74

73

50.34%

Central Michigan

6

5

1

81

Middle Tennessee

76

75

50.33%

Middle Tennessee

4

5

2

82

Hawaii

84

84

50.00%

Hawaii

6

7

3

82

Tulane

75

75

50.00%

Tulane

6

7

3

82

UCLA

76

76

50.00%

UCLA

6

6

5

82

New Mexico

76

76

50.00%

New Mexico

6

6

2

87

North Texas

76

77

49.67%

North Texas

7

8

1

87

Boise St

76

77

49.67%

Boise St

6

5

0

89

Baylor

75

76

49.67%

Baylor

7

7

3

89

Tulsa

75

76

49.67%

Tulsa

7

7

2

89

Oklahoma

75

76

49.67%

Oklahoma

6

7

3

92

Kansas St

75

77

49.34%

Kansas St

6

7

3

93

Kent St

74

77

49.01%

Kent St

5

7

1

94

TCU

74

78

48.68%

TCU

7

7

3

95

South Alabama

72

76

48.65%

South Alabama

8

8

1

96

Wisconsin

74

79

48.37%

Wisconsin

6

7

2

97

Eastern Michigan

72

78

48.00%

Eastern Michigan

5

6

1

98

Rice

71

77

47.97%

Rice

5

5

1

99

Bowling Green

70

77

47.62%

Bowling Green

5

6

1

100

Arkansas St

70

79

46.98%

Arkansas St

6

7

2

101

Iowa

65

74

46.76%

Iowa

4

6

2

102

WKU

70

80

46.67%

WKU

4

6

2

103

Northern Illinois

70

81

46.36%

Northern Illinois

5

6

1

103

Duke

70

81

46.36%

Duke

4

6

1

105

Temple

69

80

46.31%

Temple

6

6

2

106

New Mexico St

68

79

46.26%

New Mexico St

7

7

1

106

Texas St

68

79

46.26%

Texas St

5

6

1

108

Ball St

70

82

46.05%

Ball St

6

7

1

109

Cincinnati

69

81

46.00%

Cincinnati

5

7

1

110

Old Dominion

68

80

45.95%

Old Dominion

5

5

1

111

Houston

68

81

45.64%

Houston

6

6

2

112

ULM

73

88

45.34%

ULM

7

7

2

113

Buffalo

68

82

45.33%

Buffalo

6

6

0

114

San Diego St

64

78

45.07%

San Diego St

4

6

0

115

East Carolina

67

82

44.97%

East Carolina

6

7

0

116

Colorado St

69

85

44.81%

Colorado St

5

6

1

117

Charlotte

65

81

44.52%

Charlotte

5

6

1

118

Toledo

67

84

44.37%

Toledo

6

6

0

119

Appalachian St

65

82

44.22%

Appalachian St

4

6

1

120

Navy

65

84

43.62%

Navy

5

5

2

121

Memphis

65

85

43.33%

Memphis

5

6

1

122

UCF

64

85

42.95%

UCF

5

6

1

123

Nevada

65

87

42.76%

Nevada

4

5

2

124

UL Lafayette

62

86

41.89%

UL Lafayette

4

5

0

125

Georgia Southern

61

86

41.50%

Georgia Southern

5

6

1

126

UMass

58

88

39.73%

UMass

3

4

1

127

Akron

58

90

39.19%

Akron

4

6

1

128

UTEP

56

91

38.10%

UTEP

3

4

0

129

Marshall

54

89

37.76%

Marshall

1

4

0

One note about the last category. I took the final AP Top 25 poll from last year and then looked at two lists. The first list was “Others receiving votes” and then I looked at all teams that were not in the Final Top 25 but were in the AP Top 25 for 4 weeks or more during the year. If a team was on BOTH those lists I included them as being a ranked team for the year. Those teams were #26 Notre Dame (28 votes) and 10 weeks in the AP Top 25, #27 Stanford (27 votes, 7 weeks ranked), #28 Nebraska (22 votes, 11 weeks ranked), #30 Duke (18 votes, 4 weeks ranked), #31 LSU (12 votes, 10 weeks ranked), #35 Oklahoma (7 votes, 11 weeks ranked) and #36 Texas A&M (7 votes, 8 weeks ranked). I counted those 7 along with the other top 25. Those that just missed were South Carolina, Okla St and East Carolina who were each ranked for 4 weeks or more but did not receive ANY votes at the end of the year. Air Force, Utah St, Arkansas, Minnesota (ranked 1 week), Northern Illinois and Colorado St (ranked 2 weeks) all received some votes in the final poll but most were not ranked even once during the year.

Who plays the most of these 32 ranked teams this year? How about Colorado, USC, Washington, Auburn, Alabama and Arkansas who each play SEVEN! (more than half of their opponents!) Who plays the fewest of these ranked teams? Well, there are 40 teams that play 1 ranked team or less and 38 of them are in non Power 5 conferences. The only two teams who play in a Power 5 conference that meet this criteria are Ohio State and Duke who play ONE each!

There are 5 teams that face TEN teams that finished with a winning record last year. Those teams are Alabama, Arkansas, Texas A&M, LSU and Kentucky. There are just 13 teams that face 4 or less teams that had a winning record last year and the only ones of those in the Power 5 conferences are Iowa and Duke who face 4 apiece. Marshall plays just 1.

There are just 4 teams that face TEN teams that were bowl eligible last year (6 or more wins) and those teams are Alabama, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Virginia. If a team finished 6-6 or 6-7 they would be on this list and not on the list of teams with a winning record. The teams that face the fewest teams that were bowl eligible last year are Marshall, UTEP and UMass who face 4 each.